Toy Story 5 Review: Playtime Meets Screen Time In Pixar's Thoughtful, If Uneven, Return
Toy Story 5 understands that burden and, rather than merely dusting off familiar faces, attempts to ask whether imagination can still compete with glowing screens in a childhood increasingly mediated by technology.
Title: Toy Story 5
Director: Andrew Stanton
Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Conan O’Brien, Scarlett Spears, Greta Lee, Shelby Rabara, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Craig Robinson
Where: In Theatres
Rating: ***1/2
Nostalgia is a persuasive salesperson, but even it has to justify another sequel. Toy Story 5 understands that burden and, rather than merely dusting off familiar faces, attempts to ask whether imagination can still compete with glowing screens in a childhood increasingly mediated by technology. The answer, thankfully, is more nuanced than a simple lament for simpler times.
Instead of resting the emotional weight on Woody and Buzz, the film wisely hands Jessie the reins. Her lingering fear of being forgotten lends genuine poignancy to a story that explores loneliness, friendship and the fragile business of growing up. Bonnie's struggle to connect with children her own age becomes the emotional pivot, while a tablet that promises companionship raises uncomfortable questions about convenience masquerading as connection.
The screenplay is at its best when it trusts emotions over messaging. Unfortunately, it occasionally slips into sermonising, reducing a complex conversation about technology to neatly packaged conclusions. Woody's return, while welcome, often feels like an obligation rather than a necessity, and some narrative detours delay the film from finding its emotional rhythm. Yet once the adventure gathers momentum, humour, warmth and genuine tenderness reclaim the stage.
Actors' Performance
Joan Cusack delivers the film's most affecting vocal performance, giving Jessie both resilience and vulnerability without tipping into sentimentality. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen effortlessly slip back into their iconic roles, though the screenplay offers them fewer memorable moments than expected. Greta Lee injects surprising personality into the digitally cheerful Lilypad, while Conan O'Brien steals several scenes with impeccable comic timing. The supporting cast contributes enough energy to ensure the ensemble never loses its sparkle.
Music and Aesthetics
Pixar's animation continues to be an exercise in effortless craftsmanship. Rural landscapes, bustling neighbourhoods and imaginative play sequences are rendered with remarkable richness, making every frame feel inviting without becoming ostentatious. Randy Newman's score gently underscores the emotional beats, while the film's visual contrasts between tactile play and digital immersion quietly reinforce its central concern without overwhelming the storytelling.
Final Verdict
Toy Story 5 may not recapture the emotional thunderbolt of its finest predecessors, yet it refuses to become a cynical exercise in franchise maintenance. Its observations about childhood occasionally arrive with a raised finger, but its heart remains firmly in the right place. Like an old toy rediscovered in the attic, it may show a few scratches, though it still knows how to bring a smile.
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